Common complication of sedating a patient prior to intubation

Complications of anesthesia (sedation during surgery) occur in all patient populations, including those with Down syndrome.

It just so happens that some anesthesia complications are more likely to occur in individuals with Down syndrome than their peers without Down syndrome.

Direct consultation with an anesthesiologist well before a planned procedure may be necessary if medical or behavioral histories are complicated.

40-60% of infants born with Down syndrome have significant cardiac anomalies, most of which require early surgical intervention.

As such it may be that the real distinction to be made is not between the specialties but between those clinicians who inform their decisions based on opinions expressed in social media and those who don’t.